Shaping the Future of Public Administration With Booz Allen SVP—and NAPA Fellow—Dr. Cedric Sims

The congressionally chartered National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) has been helping government leaders solve critical management challenges since 1967. NAPA Fellows are a prestigious group, representing former cabinet officials, members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators, prominent scholars, and business executives.

In 2019, Dr. Cedric Sims, a senior vice president with Booz Allen’s Justice, Homeland Security, and Transportation business, joined their ranks.

The path to public administration begins with technology

Sims is a homeland security expert with a technical background in engineering and computer science. He has contributed to the advancement of public administration throughout his career through the fields of acquisition, program governance, and systems engineering.

“As a technologist early on in my career, I found it very rewarding to influence the ability to adopt technology and technical capabilities,” he said. “A lot of this happens through policy and practices. My desire to contribute at that level grew when I saw the impact.”

An opportunity for greater contribution

With the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), he implemented the first five-year strategic plan in USSS history. And with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Sims established and led the Office of Program Accountability and Risk Management, promoting better accountability of DHS acquisition investments.

Today as a senior vice president with Booz Allen, he leads cyber and analytics integration projects across DHS, including the DHS Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program that secures nearly 80% of .gov domains.

What has driven Sims to play such a pivotal role in public administration? He cites “a calling to do something that’s larger than ourselves, a desire for purpose and impact. What better way to do that than through public service?”

Keeping government on pace with digital transformation

Today, according to Sims, “The pace of technological transformation and the expectations of our citizens is outpacing our ability to develop the right kinds of policies and approaches.”

“NAPA is a place to help drive policy and an agenda to further the dialog,” he said. ”I’m looking forward to contributing to this community. It really is an honor.”

Learn more about NAPA and how Booz Allen supports civil government and defense and intelligence clients.